Avocado impact: a healthy fruit but harmful to environment

Some foods look healthy and eco-friendly, but they are not. One example is the avocado, a fruit from far away that is now popular not only in India but in Europe as well.

In India, avocado is not a common fruit. It came from Sri Lanka a long time ago. Some people grow it in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. But these places do not have enough water. Avocado needs a lot of water to grow. It drinks more water than other plants. This makes the water scarce for other crops and people.

Avocado has a lot of vitamin E and omega 3, which are good for your body. Many people like to eat it with different foods. More and more people around the world are buying avocados every year, the numbers show.

But avocados are bad for the planet. They need a lot of water to grow, and they are often shipped from long distances. This causes pollution and deforestation. Some farmers also use chemicals that harm the soil and the wildlife.

A sponge crop where water is scarce

The avocado has a problem: it needs a lot of water to grow. It drinks up a lot of water that is hard to find. But in India, there is not enough water. Some people grow avocado in Kerala, where there are 10,000 hectares of land for this fruit and mango. But Kerala often has no rain. This is not the only place, because in India there are many places where plants need a lot of water but there is very little water.

According to the Aguacastur portal, the consumption usually amounts to 1,200 liters of water per square meter per year, although these quantities change depending upon the variety, the climate of the place, and the breed of avocado.

In any case, this constitutes a tremendous amount of water. Huertolia, another specialized portal, points out that an avocado might require about 500-600 liters of water per week during its first year of life. During its second growth stage, which includes the second and third year, it increases the amount of water needed to approximately 800-900 liters per week.

Some studies show how much avocados affect the environment. One study says that two avocados make twice as much CO2 as a kilo of bananas<^2^><2>. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that is bad for the planet. Bananas come from nearby places like Kerala and need less transport. They are better for the environment than avocados that come from faraway places.

Avocados also hurt the forests and animals. Some farmers cut down trees to grow more avocados. This makes the forest smaller and the animals lose their homes. Some farmers also use chemicals that harm the soil and the wildlife.

Double the CO2 of bananas

"But the problem doesn't stop at water. Avocado produces a large carbon footprint, in other words, it releases a significant amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. How? Primarily, the transportation needed to bring large quantities of this fruit from abroad to India is the cause."

In 2021 India imported 900 tons of avocado, mainly from Tanzania, Peru and the Netherlands<^1^><1>. By then, the increase was already 112% compared to the previous year<^1^><1>.

This means more cargo planes and ships bringing avocados from far away countries, with more air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Some studies measure how much avocados affect the environment. One study by the Carbon Footprint organization says that two avocados make twice as much CO2 as a kilo of bananas 480 grams. The two avocados make 846.3 grams of CO2 during their whole life, from growing to storing to moving.

On the other hand, a kilo of banana makes 480 grams. Since bananas come from nearby places like Kerala and need less transport, they are better for the environment than avocados (that come from far away places).

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